Buffing wheel



Jan. 10, 1967 I D. D. BIZOVI 3,296,646

BUFFING WHEEL Filed June 1, 1964 INVENTOR. J47? fljgzzal z.

United States Fatent G 3,296,646 BUFFlNG WHEEL Dan D. Bizovi, 8171 New Bradford BlvtL, Utica, Mich. 48087 Filed June 1, 1964, Ser. No. 371,298 3 Claims. (Cl. 230.16)

The present invention broadly relates to a buffing wheel, and more particularly to an improved buffing wheel comprising a central hub section to which a plurality of finger-like bufiing elements are afiixed and which extend radially outwardly therefrom and are positioned with the end portions thereof at a prescribed angle relative to the plane of rotation of the buffing wheel.

A variety of buffing wheel constructions have heretofore been used or proposed for use for achieving a desired buffing action on a surface of an article being buffed. It therefore has frequently been necessary in order to achieve the desired surface finish on an article to employ a series of different buffing wheels each of which varies in its specific buffing action. It accordingly has been conventional to start with a first bufling Wheel which provides for a relatively vigorous buffing action to remove any surface irregularities or imperfections, followed thereafter with a second bufiing wheel of a relatively mild butfing action imparting a polishing action to the surface of the article being buffed. This practice necessarily requires a multiple step process and a duplication of equipment and operating personnel detracting from the efiiciency and economy of operation.

Problems have also been encountered in connection with some buifing wheel constructions in commercial use due to the inability thereof of providing adequate retention of the bufi'ing compound employed in conjunction with the buffing wheel, necessitating frequent reapplications of the butting compound with corresponding frequent interruptions in the normal work throughput. Buffing wheels of the types heretofore known have also been prone to overheating at the surfaces thereof in contact with the article being buffed, causing either a burning of the metallic substrate or causing localized variations in the buffing action resulting in streaking and nonuniformity in the surface finish produced.

It is, accordingly, a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved buffing wheel which overcomes many of the problems associated with bufling wheels of the several types heretofore known.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved bufling wheel embodying a plurality of radially disposed and angularly inclined finger-like buffing elements which are of a novel composite construction and are uniquely arranged, providing an improved bufiing wheel possessing self-ventilating characteristics, an improved retention of the buffing compounds employed, and an increased resistance to wear, thereby enhancing the useful operating life of the bufling wheel.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved 'bufiing wheel which has been found surprisingly superior in buffing surfaces of stainless steel articles, providing for a number eight mirror finish in a single bufiing operation.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved buffing wheel which is of simple construcice tion, of durable and reliable operation, which enables the attainment of improved surface finishes by unskilled operators, and which is of economical manufacture and use.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the present invention are achieved by providing a bufiing wheel section comprising a central annular hub to which a series of individual finger-like buffing elements are securely afiixed at uniformly spaced increments therearound and extend outwardly therefrom. Each of the elements is formed in a substantially planar rectangular configuration and is comprised of a plurality of sisal cords extending parallel to the side edges of the buffing element and disposed in side-by-side relationship which are enveloped by a continuous fabric sheet that extends around the side edges and side faces of the element. Preferably, the fabric sheet is wrapped around each of the individual sisal cords. The fingerlike buffing elements are of a sufiicient width so that a mutual partial-overlapping relationship of each bufiing element relative to the next adjacent buffing element occurs, effecting an angular inclination of the elements of a magnitude of from about 15 to about 45, and preferably from about 25 to about 35 to the plane of the buffing wheel section. A bufiing wheel may comprise one or a plurality of the buffing wheel sections disposed in side-by-side relationship and suitably clamped together on an arbor adapted to rotate about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the bufling wheel sections.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a boiling wheel section constructed in accordance with the preferred embodiments of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an end elevational view partly in phantom, illustrating the angular inclination of the finger-like bufiing elements relative to the plane of rotation of a bufiing Wheel formed of three individual bufiing wheel sections mounted on an arbor;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary enlarged plan view of a pair of bufiing elements as shown in FIGURE 1 positioned in mutual overlapping relationship with adjacent pairs of buffing elements indicated in phantom, and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged view of the ends of the buffing elements shown in FIGURE 3.

Referring now in detail to the drawings and as may be best seen in FIGURES l and 2, a bufling wheel section generally indicated at 10 comprises a central disc or annular hub 12 formed with a central aperture 14 therethrough which is adapted to receive a suitable shaft for clamping the buffing wheel section in appropriate perpendicular relationship relative to the axis of rotation of the shaft. A series of finger-like 'bufiing elements indicated at 16 are rigidly affixed to the annular peripheral portion of the central hub 12 and extend outwardly therefrom terminating in a working edge indicated at 18 which is adapted to be disposed in bufiing relationship with an article to be finished.

A buffing wheel, of the desired working face Width, can be made by simply assembling the desired number of buffing wheel sections 10 as illustrated in FIGURE 2 in side by-side relationship and clamping them together such as, for example, between a pair of clamping plates 20 arranged on a shaft 22, having a nut 24 threadably engaged V on the threaded shank end thereof.

Each of the bulfing finger-like elements 16, as may be best seen in FIGURES 3 and 4, consists of a plurality of cord elements 26 comprised of natural or synthetic fibrous materials which are arranged in side-by-side substantially parallel relationship and extend for the entire length of the bufiing elements. The cord elements 26 are preferably comprised of sisal which is arranged in individual strands twisted together, forming a cord. Each strand is comprised of a plurality of fine-sized sisal filaments. In the exemplary embodiment shown in the drawings, eight cord elements 26 are employed in each finger-like buffing element.

In addition to the sisal cord elements 26, each of the finger-like butfing elements 16 includes a continuous sheet of a woven cloth indicated at 28 which extends around the side faces and side edges of the boiling element retaining the cord elements 26 in a substantially rectangular and planar configuration. In a preferred form of the present invention, the cloth 28 which is in the form of a continuous strip is wrapped around each individual cord, commencing with a cord element at or adjacent to the middle of the finger-like bufliing element and moving therefrom progressively and alternately toward the side edges thereof. This wrapping pattern is best illustrated in FIGURE 4, wherein the cord elements numbered 26a through 2511, inclusive, are completely enveloped by continuous strip of the cloth 28 which is wrapped around the cord element 26a and thereafter progressively around the elements 26b-26h having its terminal edge ending along one side face of the fingerlike element as indicated at 30. The finger-like bufiing element can readily be assembled by initially rolling the cord element 26a with one edge portion of the fabric, after which the cord element 26b is positioned in parallel side-by-side relationship therewith and the fabric strip is thereafter wrapped about both the cord elements 26a, 26b followed thereafter by the addition of cord element 260, which in turn is wrapped along with cord element-s 26a, 26b and so on thereafter until the desired number of cord elements have been incorporated, providing the desired width of the bufiing element. It will be apparent from this construction that the central portions of the side faces of the finger-like bufiing element 16 as viewed in FIGURE 4 consist of multiple plies of the woven cloth which in the specific embodiment shown consists of five plies progressively diminishing to two at the side edges thereof.

At the completion of the wrapping operation, the finger-like bufiing element consisting of the cord elements and woven cloth can be securely fastened to each other such as by sewing the element longitudinally between one or more of the cord elements, securing opposite sides of the fabric together. This can satisfactorily be achieved as shown in the construction illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 4 by sewing the element longitudinally between cord elements 26a and 26b along the entire length of the butfing element as indicated by stitches 32. Additional longitudinal stitching can be provided as desired between adjacent pairs of the cord elements to provide further strength to the bufiing element.

Undesirable relative longitudinal movement between the cord elements 26a26h and the overlying woven cloth 28 is achieved by transversely sewing the bufiing element along one ed e thereof such as by stitches 34 as illustrated in FIGURE 3 adjacent to the root port-ion thereof which is securely affixed to the central hub 12. In accordance with the preferred construction of the buffing elements 16, an improved retention of the buffing compound is attained along the working edge portions of each buifing element, enabling the bufiing of a greater number of pieces without requiring replenishment of the supply of 'bufiing compounds. Additionally improved shaped retention of the planar substantially rectangular taining proper orientation thereof in spite of the imposition of loads to the end portions thereof as encountered during a bufiing operation.

In a preferred arrangement of the individual buffing elements 16, the buffing elements are arranged in pairs wherein the elements of each pair are disposed with their side edges in substantially parallel relationship and wherein the side faces thereof are mutually overlapped approximately one-half the width of the bufiing element. Each of the pairs thus arranged is positioned in substantially equal arcuate increments around the central hub wherein the edges of the bufiing elements extend substantially radially outwardly relative the center aperture 14 through the hub. The arcuate spacing of the pairs of buffing elements is preferably done so that one of the bufling elements of each adjacent pair substantially completely overlap at the root portions thereof and are positioned with their mutual side edges diverging outwardly and providing for at least a partial overlap at the working edges 18 thereof. This relationship is clearly shown in FIG- URE 3 wherein a pair of the buffing elements 16 are shown in solid lines with their side edges disposed in parallel relationship and wherein the bufiing elements of that pair overlap each other over approximately onehalf the width thereof. Adjacent pairs of bufling elements as shown in phantom are oriented so that one bufiing element of each adjacent pair is positioned in mutual overlapping relationship at the root portions thereof and overlap each other at the working edge portions thereof over approximately one-half their width.

The use of the foregoing paired relationship of the individual bufiin-g elements does not detract from their individual flexing action and the independence of their buffing operation. The arrangement does provide for a sufiicient overlapping at the root portions of the bufiing elements to assure the attainment of the proper inclination of the working edges of the elements within an angularity of from about 15 to about 45 and preferably from about 25 to about 35 relative to the plane of rotation of the buifing wheel section. The independent action of each of the individual bulling elements and their orientation relative to the plane of orientation of the buffing wheel section provides a novel bufiing action at the surface of an article being finished which is a composite of the angular inclination of the working edges of the bufiing elements and the circumferential direction of rotation thereof in the plane of the buffing wheel section.

The root portions of each of the bufiing elements 16 are securely fastened to the annular peripheral portion of the central hub section 12 by any one of a variety of conventional techniques such as stapling, stitching, clamping between serrated plates, or the like. In either event, attachment of the bufiing elements is made so as to provide for an independent flexing action of each of the bufiing elements and a retention sufiicient to withstand the centrifugal and other forces imposed thereon during a buffing operation.

While it will be apparent that the preferred embodiments of the invention disclosed are well calculated to fulfill the objects above stated, it will be appreciated that the invention is susceptible to modification, variation and change without departure from the proper scope or fair meaning of the subjoined claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A bufiing wheel section comprising a central hub, a series of individual finger-like buffing elements affixed at substantially uniformly spaced increments to said hub and extending outwardly therefrom, each of said bufiing elements being of a substantially planar rectangular configuration and comprised of a plurality of sisal cords disposed in side-by-side relationship and individually and progressively wrapped by a continuous fabric sheet commencing with a cord disposed centrally of said bufiing element and moving progressively and alternately therefrom to the cords at the opposite edges thereof, said buffing elements arranged in mutual partial overlapping relationship along the entire lengths thereof with the next adjacent buffing element, the plane of each said buffing element disposed at an angular inclination of from about 15 to about 45 relative to the plane of the bufiing wheel section.

2. A bufiing Wheel section as defined in claim 1 wherein said bufiing elements are arranged in pairs with the elements of each pair disposed with their longitudinal edges in substantially parallel relationship and with the side faces thereof overlapping about one-half of the face of the adjacent element.

3. A buffing Wheel section as defined in claim 1 wherein said angular inclination is from about 25 to about 35. 15

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS 12/1957 Great Britain.

DANIEL BLUM, Primary Examiner. 

1. A BUFFING WHEEL SECTION COMPRISING A CENTRAL HUB, A SERIES OF INDIVIDUAL FINGER-LIKE BUFFING ELEMENTS AFFIXED AT SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORMLY SPACED INCREMENTS TO SAID HUB AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY THEREFROM, EACH OF SAID BUFFING ELEMENTS BEING OF A SUBSTANTIALLY PLANAR RECTANGULAR CONFIGURATION AND COMPRISED OF A PLURALITY OF SISAL CORDS DISPOSED IN SIDE-BY-SIDE RELATIONSHIP AND INDIVIDUALLY AND PROGRESSIVELY WRAPPED BY A CONTINUOUS FABRIC SHEET COMMENCING WITH A CORD DISPOSED CENTRALLY OF SAID BUFFING ELEMENT AND MOVING PROGRESSIVELY AND ALTERNATELY THEREFROM TO THE CORDS AT THE OPPOSITE EDGES THEREOF, SAID BUFFING ELEMENTS ARRANGED IN MUTUAL PARTIAL OVERLAPPING RELATIONSHIP ALONG THE ENTIRE LENGTHS THEREOF WITH THE NEXT ADJACENT BUFFING ELEMENT, THE PLANE OF EACH SAID BUFFING ELEMENT DISPOSED AT AN ANGULAR INCLINATION OF FROM ABOUT 15* TO ABOUT 45* RELATIVE TO THE PLANE OF THE BUFFING WHEEL SECTION. 